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celeste55 wrote:A 15-10 mm spacer underneath the stem is not a slammed stem.

So the definition of "slammed" sub-10mm?

I like the 10mm max now.

The definition of slammed stem would be the stem resting directly on top of the headset cap. Slammed stem would not apply to headset caps like those tall conical ones seen in the above Cannondale pictures. The stem would also have to be in the negative position. And as someone mentioned above, you would really have to use a -17 stem instead of those higher -8 -10 stems. Slammed means as low as possible given commonly available bicycle parts. Flat headset caps and -17 stems are commonly available.

I thought slammed meant going down to one spacer between the top of the headtube and bottom of the stem. Well then, I stand corrected. Not "slammed", but I want it capped flush at the top with a max of 10mm and a minimum 5mm under.

I'm diggin' these...

This, I like...

Of course, I'm LOVIN' this!

(I got the pics from slammedstem. If either of these are you bikes, sorry.)

Time frames are the same way. I think it is because the headset and top cap supplied with the frame and fork are made in such a way to support the steerer tube of the fork to a certain depth which is the stack height of the stem that clamps to the steerer tube. If you use spacers on top of the stem, that part of the steerer tube will not be supported by the top cap.Hope that makes sense.

A totally slammed stem suggests a badly fitting frame to me. The other alternative is that the frame is 100% perfectly fitting, but then who is so sure about their ideal stem height that they are certain that they will never want to adjust it by as much as 5mm either way? A perfectly fitting frame to me would be one with a little room for tweaking.

Of course quite a few pros ride less than ideally fitting frames because the high-end ones are often designed for the middle aged people who can afford to buy them.

Sometimes you have no choice but to try to stuff yourself onto whatever geometry the manufacturer has made its moulds for. As neeb notes, the problem is the headtube lengths on the monocoque frames are too tall for a perfect fit for lots of people, so you end-up with a saddle slammed back on the rails of a setback post and a 140mm stem slammed down onto the topcap to get a bike that fits.

Stem heights are relative. Higher for more comfort. Lower for a more aggressive position. A rider can have a generally perfect frame size, but alternate stem positions to accommodate riding style. How can a manufacturer design a frame that is perfect for more than one human being ever?No two human bodies are identical in dimension. A frame is just the reference point to start from.

After that, stem height/length/angle, saddle height/shape, crank arm length, handlebar width/drop/shapeall have to be taken into account to design a custom fit. Slamming a stem might be a solution to someoneand their style of riding that an OEM position didn't offer. How can that ever be wrong?